.jpg?w=1)
Details
MOUNT, William (1688-1769) and Thomas PAGE (1704-1762). The English Pilot. The Fourth Book. Describing the West-India Navigation, from Hudson's-Bay to the River Amazones... London: Printed for W. and J. Mount, T. Page and Son, 1759.
2o (468 x 308 mm). 25 engraved maps (7 folding and 13 double-page) and four maps in text (some occasional pale offsetting, the Virginia and South Carolina maps cropped at top). Contemporary speckled blind-tooled sheep (some rubbing, a few small repairs). Provenance: Loiseau (signature on front free endpaper).
"THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION OF CHARTS EXCLUSIVELY OF THE AMERICAN COASTS TO BE PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND" (Cumming, p.9)
The series of English Pilot books was started in 1671 by John Seller, whose charts derived from the Dutch pilot books of Pieter Goos. "Seller's English Pilot initiated the independent production of pilot books in England which ultimately overcame Dutch predominance" (Koeman, IV, p. xiii). "For British trading in North America and for the colonists there, the publication of The English Pilot: The Fourth Book must have been a godsend. For the first time an English sea atlas presented charts of the whole eastern seacoast of North America. To modern eyes the charts are crude and sparse of detail; but to the navigator of American waters in that period, it was his Bible. Whatever its shortcomings, there was really no substitute, no real competitor, for over sixty years" (William P. Cumming, British Maps of Colonial America, Chicago & London 1974, p.39).
This work was in such high demand that 37 editions were published from 1689 to 1794, as were three pirated editions. During the history of publication, the charts went through numerous changes, starting with the addition to the 18 charts in the first edition to an eventual 26 in the final (this edition has 25). Nearly every chart in the Fourth Book was reworked and charts were added and replaced by more accurate charts with subsequent editions. Verner notes that 64 different chart titles have been recorded from the editions he examined. Due to its practical nature and use, copies of all editions are quite rare. See Phillips Atlases 1157; Sabin 22616; Verner Bibliography of the Fourth Book of the English Pilot 12.
COMPRISING:
1. A New and Correct Chart of the Western and Southern Oceans
2. A New and Correct Chart of the North Part of America from New Found Land to Hudson's Bay
3. A New Generall Chart for the West Indies of E. Wright's Projection
4. A General Chart of the Western Ocean
5. A Chart of the Sea Coast of New Foundland New Scotland New England New York New Jersey with Virginia and Maryland
6. The Harbour of Casco Bay
7. A New and Correct Chart of the Coast of New Foundland
8. A Chart Shewing Part of the Sea Coast of New Foundland... drawn by John Gaudy
9. Harbor Grace [on verso:]
10. Bay Bulls
11. Cattalina Harbor [on verso:]
12. Port Bonavista
Island of St. Peters [in text]
13. A Correct Map of the Coast of New England
14. A Draught of New York from the Hook to New York Town
15. Virginia, Maryland, Pennsilvania, East & West New Jarsey
16. A Draught of Virginia by Mark Tiddeman
Barbados [in text]
A Large Draft of the Island Antegua [in text]
17. A Large Draft of South Carolina
18. A Correct Chart of the Caribbee Islands
19. A Correct Chart of Hispaniola
20. A New and Correct Draught of the Bay of Matanzas
21. The Island of Jamaica
22. A New Chart of the Bahama Islands
Bermudas [in text]
23. A Draught of the Coast of Guiana
24. A New and Correct Chart of the Trading Part of the West Indies
25. An Exact Draught of the Gulf of Darien
2
"THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION OF CHARTS EXCLUSIVELY OF THE AMERICAN COASTS TO BE PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND" (Cumming, p.9)
The series of English Pilot books was started in 1671 by John Seller, whose charts derived from the Dutch pilot books of Pieter Goos. "Seller's English Pilot initiated the independent production of pilot books in England which ultimately overcame Dutch predominance" (Koeman, IV, p. xiii). "For British trading in North America and for the colonists there, the publication of The English Pilot: The Fourth Book must have been a godsend. For the first time an English sea atlas presented charts of the whole eastern seacoast of North America. To modern eyes the charts are crude and sparse of detail; but to the navigator of American waters in that period, it was his Bible. Whatever its shortcomings, there was really no substitute, no real competitor, for over sixty years" (William P. Cumming, British Maps of Colonial America, Chicago & London 1974, p.39).
This work was in such high demand that 37 editions were published from 1689 to 1794, as were three pirated editions. During the history of publication, the charts went through numerous changes, starting with the addition to the 18 charts in the first edition to an eventual 26 in the final (this edition has 25). Nearly every chart in the Fourth Book was reworked and charts were added and replaced by more accurate charts with subsequent editions. Verner notes that 64 different chart titles have been recorded from the editions he examined. Due to its practical nature and use, copies of all editions are quite rare. See Phillips Atlases 1157; Sabin 22616; Verner Bibliography of the Fourth Book of the English Pilot 12.
COMPRISING:
1. A New and Correct Chart of the Western and Southern Oceans
2. A New and Correct Chart of the North Part of America from New Found Land to Hudson's Bay
3. A New Generall Chart for the West Indies of E. Wright's Projection
4. A General Chart of the Western Ocean
5. A Chart of the Sea Coast of New Foundland New Scotland New England New York New Jersey with Virginia and Maryland
6. The Harbour of Casco Bay
7. A New and Correct Chart of the Coast of New Foundland
8. A Chart Shewing Part of the Sea Coast of New Foundland... drawn by John Gaudy
9. Harbor Grace [on verso:]
10. Bay Bulls
11. Cattalina Harbor [on verso:]
12. Port Bonavista
Island of St. Peters [in text]
13. A Correct Map of the Coast of New England
14. A Draught of New York from the Hook to New York Town
15. Virginia, Maryland, Pennsilvania, East & West New Jarsey
16. A Draught of Virginia by Mark Tiddeman
Barbados [in text]
A Large Draft of the Island Antegua [in text]
17. A Large Draft of South Carolina
18. A Correct Chart of the Caribbee Islands
19. A Correct Chart of Hispaniola
20. A New and Correct Draught of the Bay of Matanzas
21. The Island of Jamaica
22. A New Chart of the Bahama Islands
Bermudas [in text]
23. A Draught of the Coast of Guiana
24. A New and Correct Chart of the Trading Part of the West Indies
25. An Exact Draught of the Gulf of Darien